Success Stories

Karun Sharma (r) excuses himself from Fahmida Khan's birthday
celebration tomorrow. He has prior commitments in Delhi.

Close on the heels of Geeta Latte graduating to a bona fide yoga teacher (ref yesterday’s post) comes another success story. Karun Sharma has just qualified as a Master Trainer with the National Board for Quality Promotion (NBQP), New Delhi under the ‘Zero Defect Zero Effect’ (ZED) Certification Scheme for micro, small and medium enterprises.
“This is an important initiative of the prime minister directed at improving the export potential of Indian products and services without causing damage to the environment,” explained Karun. “The ZED scheme is an integrated and holistic certification system that accounts for

Filmmaker in the making: Arati Bhatt

our quality, productivity, energy efficiency, pollution mitigation, etc.”
This new feather in the cap reveals another facet of Karun, distinct from the life coach we have known him as all along. “My role as Master Trainer shall be to impart training to ZED assessors, trainers and consultants as they go on to form an integral part of implementing and monitoring the ZED scheme.”
Weighty as this may sound to the laity, here’s yet another success story and a delightful one at that. Remember Arati Bhatt, the young lady from Pithoragarh who used to religiously exercise with us every morning till she moved to Versova late last year? Well, she’s been keeping herself busy since as news came in today of her completing a short film, Happy Valentine’s Day. With Tapraj Joshi, Anirudh Sharma and Mansi Chouhan in the leads, this is a charming ‘comedy of errors’ set in Mumbai revolving around two goofy, love-struck boys (roomies, actually) dating the same girl and not knowing it. Without revealing how the plot pans out, we recommend you watch the film on You Tube by going to the following link: 
https://www.youtube.com watch?v=7TO_8Mw_Spw.
The credits mention "Arati Bhatt" as writer and director and the production banner is Sooch Films.
Bhaswati Bose:
Congratulations, Karun-ji and Arati. Keep up the good work. All the best to you both.
Geeta Latte:
Congratulations Karun Uncle! Har ek jeetne wale koh baazigar kahate...👆💪✌💐 Also congratulations, dear Arati.
Kiran Prakash:
Congratulations Karun-ji and Arati. Well done. May you both continue to grow in your professional spheres. It's​ a matter of pride for us that we are associated with you. I did watch Happy Valentine's Day. Well made.
Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
Heartiest congrats, Karun-ji and Arati-ji. It is another feather in the cap of Big Laaf Club that we have members holding good achievements in life. I wish them all success and a marvelous future.

Specialised Yoga

Geeta Latte -- striking a pose

In the realm of Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga and what have you, Geeta Latte is fast carving out a niche for herself. It is barely a month since she became a certified yoga teacher (ref post of April 9) and already many in the Club are benefiting from her lessons meant for specific issues like back ache, arthritis, knee joint pain, asthma, etc.
“The best thing about her is that she is genuinely concerned about treating you,” attests Bhaswati Bose who stays back in the Garden (after the exercises) whenever she needs Geeta to attend to a persistent lumbago problem. Likewise Razia Khan, Santosh Tyagi and a few others have been picking Geeta’s brains

Suresh Samel (r) announces his 83rd birthday with chocolates

for ailments that typically come with advancing age.
Quite clearly, Geeta’s forte lies in focusing upon the therapeutic aspect of yoga as opposed to the rather generalized ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach commonly practiced everywhere. For want of a better expression, this personalized (even customized) method of yogic treatment may well be described as 'Curative Yoga'.
There is however, a problem in this. As Yusuf Rassiwala pointed out this morning, Geeta does not realize her worth as she contains herself within the confines of the Club.

Karuna Waghmare (in red) conducts exercises for the first time

“It is fine that you gain experience by attending to members,” he advised her. “It builds your confidence, no doubt. But you should also be concentrating on the world outside the Garden because that is where the real challenge lies. Your clientele is also there, not in the Garden.”
“I have always maintained that she should charge for her time,” Kiran Prakash added, equally concerned that her yoga certificate should not go waste. Not only do people attach zero value to what is offered for free, there is the added risk of ending up as yet another instructor conducting 'general yoga classes' with little or no benefit.
In her simplicity, Geeta explained that she would build her client base in good time and money is the least of her concerns so long as she gets good referrals. She informed that Khatoon Baig wants to consult her, but not for free. “She wants to pay me for personal attention and frankly, I feel quite uncomfortable about it.” The answer to this predicament is staring Geeta in her face.
Bihari Milwani:
Please stop calling her Geeta. Call her 'Ms Yogi Geeta'.
Geeta Latte:
Am glad to have so many well-wishers around me.😊 Already noted down every single point and have wholeheartedly started working on them. Thank you all. 🙏
Kiran Prakash:
Geeta beti, take charge! All the best.

Beating the Heat

Karuna Waghmare narrates her Rajasthan odyssey

People normally migrate to cooler climes to escape the summer heat. Not Karuna Waghmare though. She chose a vacation in one of the hottest of Indian states, Rajasthan and returned today to tell her tale.
“We had gone to Ajmer and Jaipur,” she narrated. “But I did not feel any heat. We stayed in air-conditioned hotels, traveled by air-conditioned cars and ventured out selectively in shaded areas. Not for once did we expose ourselves to the sun.”
Recounting her visits to some forts and shrines, Karuna maintained that her trip this time was “much more enjoyable” than what she had experienced on earlier occasions. “I find Mumbai rather incredibly hot,” she said.
We did not require Karuna Waghmare to tell us how unbearably hot and clammy the weather is out here and just after the exercises, when Banoo Apa produced

Siba Prasad Maitra(r) grabs Banoo Apa's
lassi before rushing away to work

Banoo Apa with the other big host
of the morning, Yusuf Rassiwala

glassfuls of cool, refrigerated lassi from home, it was nothing short of manna from heaven.
Now there’s a problem here. In all her goodness, Banoo Apa has been treating us to such refreshments (including mango shake and tea) every other day and there is no way we can ever refuse her. At the same time, there is no way we can compensate her on a regular basis for all this kindness and generosity. Short of making us feel guilty, Banoo Apa graciously brushes aside such concerns by reminding us of her pathan lineage: “We know how to enjoy food. And we know how to share our food as well!”
Yusuf Rassiwala did the best thing in these circumstances. He rushed out to pick up some palm fruits (taad gola) from the market. These are Banoo Apa’s favorite summer indulgence (“I can make a meal of it!”) and Yusuf R knew this.
It is another matter there were other claimants for those juicy gelatinous fruit balls. After all, we can always trust Yusuf R for his large-heartedness: There was enough taad gola for everybody.
Karun Sharma:
It was a unique day for me as I decided to observe silence. I enjoyed all the activities but felt people not talking to me although I was listening. I was ready to reply as I had a pen and paper with me. We need to practice living with the deaf and dumb as they are also members of our society.
Geeta Latte:
* Banoo Aunty, thank you so much for the lassi. You have always been getting us something or the other -- that too, after rising early in the morning to prepare the goodies for us. To "thank you" can never be enough. 😇😇🙏 And Yusuf Uncle, you are an angel to our Big Laaf family!👆👼👼

E.S.P.

Air of listlessness hangs over the Garden

Looked like it had rained last night. The ground was wet and the sky, cloudy. But that did nothing to reduce the mugginess of the morning. In the absence of any breeze, humidity had shot up to oppressive levels, leaving us drained out and thirsty.
Adding to the overall dullness was the dismal turnout for the exercises. A large number of regular members did not show up. They included Yusuf Rassiwala, Razia Khan, Santosh Tyagi, Shanti Singh, Rukhsana Khan and Geeta Latte. In fact, we were just about three before the exercises began today.
This only raises questions on the kind of communication dynamics working within the Club. When one or two members

Shekhawat narrates his life story to kill time

decide not to turn up on a certain day, a huge chunk automatically drops out for no perceptible reason. The absentees would not even be in touch with one another, let alone be told in advance. This works the other way also. The day there is something on in the Club (eg. a surprise treat or birthday celebration), people would mill around in hordes. Forgotten faces would show up mysteriously, jostling for attention.
Clearly, some sort of extra sensory perception (or ESP) is working here. Members don’t need to be told when or why to go to the Garden. They would ‘sniff’ it out in advance. They would sense when it would be a dull day and accordingly, stay away. Likewise, if there is something exciting on, they would troop in merrily, guided by their instincts.
Communication experts have theorized that long-term association establishes a certain connect between members of a group that go well beyond the aural or vocal messaging. Signals are exchanged without anybody being aware of them. Something of this nature seems to be happening with us also. After all, we have been meeting for the past 14 years without a break – same place, same time.
Karun Sharma:
E.S.P., for me, has another name. I studied and worked with electro-static precipitators that are used to prevent minute particles from getting into the environment. Thank you for making me learn something new. I also started my tai chi lessons with Geeta. Thank you, Teacher.
Geeta Latte:
Thank you, Karun Uncle for addressing me as 'teacher'. Actually, I have been learming a lot from you as well as the Big Laaf family.💪👍🙏

Best Behaviour

The Brahmakumari congregation. Our group can be seen in prayer at the far end. (Can anyone spot Bijoy Gupta?)

Exercises in progress against the backdrop of Brahmakumari congregation

Change of location for today's post-exercise jokes session

The beginning of a new day.
A new week.
A new month.
May Day.
International Labor Day.
Maharashtra Day.
Gujarat Day.
Anushka Sharma’s birthday…
With so much riding upon us, it was only appropriate we be at our best behavior today. And lest we slip up somewhere, a group of 100-odd Brahmakumari devotees had positioned themselves strategically within shouting distance of where we exercise every day. They were there for the first time – even before we had landed – for an early morning sermon by one of their own.
For some reason Arun Patil appeared terribly disturbed by their presence. From the moment he entered the Garden, he insisted we get the hell out and exercise some place else – better still, not exercise at all today. Shekhawat promptly put his foot down. Razia Khan and Santosh Tyagi explained that shifting elsewhere would not help and it would be better if we simply tone down our laughter so as not to disturb the religious congregation.
But Arun was adamant. He made it seem as though we were invading someone else's space and that we ought to feel guilty about it. He was simply not prepared to accept that two groups could co-exist peaceably without getting into each other’s way. And when he found nobody taking his side, he walked out in a huff and drove away.
Before long, Bijoy Gupta walked in, his face beaming with joy on finding so many of his ilk gathered in the Garden. (For those not in the know, Gupta is an ardent Brahhmakumari follower.) It was clear he would not exercise. Predictably he excused himself, saying he “would be unable to concentrate on the exercises while the sermon was on” and quickly joined the congregation – even grabbing a front-row seat for himself.
Meanwhile, the exercises were wrapped up peacefully in a hush-hush manner with nobody daring to fool about. Even Shekhawat was unusually restrained, though totally out of character. He too was at his best behaviour.
Kiran Prakash:
Bijoy Gupta is in front row. Second from right.
Dilip Babani:
Brahmakumari organisation teaches rajyog among other things. Very nice organization.
Karun Sharma:
It was refreshing for me to be also with the Brahma Kumaris today. I have spent a lot of time with them since 1993 and learnt many positive things. I do not visit BKs regularly but hold them in high regard. I had visited Mount Abu (their headquarters) more than three times.
Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
The aim of both the groups is the same i.e. uplifting human beings. Both of them can co-exist peacefully at the same time. This has been proved today morning.